Now here’s an interesting story

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the bathroom stall at work, enjoying this month’s issue of WIRED magazine. Someone was sitting in the stall next to me. No biggie, right? Well suddenly I hear this very pronounced SPLASHING sound, as if the man in the stall next to me had just become a fecal Krakatoa. Then I listened more intently, and realized that the sound I was hearing was not the result of some very perturbed bowels, but could only be made one way. He was doing something with his hand in the toilet water. It sounded like he was splish-splashing.

WTF?

I didn’t know whether to vomit, or laugh, or both (what would that sound like?). So I quickly finished my business and walked out to the main bathroom area to wash my hands. The other man came out of the stall as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, revealing his identity. He was a software developer. Nice fellow of far-eastern origin, but there was always something about him that was just a little … off. And now I knew, in part, at least one of the more tangible symptoms of his off-ness.

Flash-forward to today. So, I gave my two-week notice at work, and I’m sitting at my desk. Virtually ALL of my functions have already been transitioned to other people. I look at my e-mail and my response to each and every one is, “Don’t care. Delete.” I’m not going to any meetings, so my blog gets the full brunt of my attentions. A steady stream of co-workers visit my office to wish me well in my future endeavors, etc.

Toilet-man just came in, and shook my hand … TWICE! Don’t think I wasn’t thinking about his proclivities either. Nothing that a quick trip to the restroom and some anti-bacterial soap couldn’t fix. But still …